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The Great Gatsby

age 14+
(i)

 

American classic captures romance, debauchery of Jazz Age.
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What parents need to know

Educational value

The Great Gatsby is a book very much of its time. Readers will learn about life in New York during the Jazz Age (1920s), and about drinking behavior during Prohibition. Also, the character Tom Buchanan converses about books he likes that represent bigoted views held by many whites at that time. These beliefs are often offensive, but they do inform the reader about the time Fitzgerald portrays.

Positive messages

Many of the characters behave irresponsibly at best, and the most romantic character in the novel, Gatsby himself, is probably involved in criminal business dealings. The most positive message in the book is probably that readers should learn from the characters' mistakes. However, there's something beautiful in Gatsby's undying devotion to Daisy. Though Fitzgerald deeply questions the wisdom of trying to recapture the past, Gatsby believes in his dream of restoring lost love in a way that's childlike and touching.

Positive role models

There are a lot more negative role models in The Great Gatsby than positive ones. The narrator, Nick, is largely a foil for the lovers' bad behavior, but his intention of being a real friend to Gatsby, especially in the end, is admirable.

Violence

In one scene, a man punches his lover in the face during an argument. At another point, a woman is fatally hit by a car, and the condition of her body is described briefly but graphically.

Sex

Adults in the book flirt and kiss. Reference is also made to extramarital affairs, and Fitzgerald describes the past relationship of two characters, saying that the man "took her," though sex is never actually described.

Language

Curse words are not used, but other offensive language is. The book includes the word "kike," and characters are prejudiced toward Jewish and African-American people.

Consumerism

There are many examples of excessive material wealth in The Great Gatsby. In fact, the majority of the culture during this time was defined by consumerism and flashy lifestyles. Gatsby's way of life in particular is very much dictated by his devotion to Daisy, which explains the lavish mansion and extravagant parties to impress the object of his affection.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking

The adults consume a great deal of alcohol, which fuels some bad behavior. As the novel was written and takes place in the United States before the Surgeon General's warning, cigarette smoking is also ubiquitous.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that THE GREAT GATSBY is at once a romantic and cynical novel about the wealth and habits of a group of New Yorkers during the Jazz Age. Fitzgerald's writing is unassailably magnificent, as he paints a grim portrait of shallow characters who maneuver themselves into complex situations. This classic American novel is required reading for a lot of high school students, and it can definitely be appreciated and understood on some levels by teenagers. However, Fitzgerald's use of language and symbolism is best appreciated by mature readers able to analyze literature and think critically. Parents also need to know that some characters express racial and religious prejudice.

What's the story?

Nick Carraway spends a summer living in a cheap rental house surrounded by lavish mansions on Long Island in the 1920s. Among his neighbors are his beautiful cousin Daisy, her loutish husband Tom, and her former lover, Jay Gatsby, whose history and epic parties are fodder for gossip. Nick becomes caught up in the machinery of more than one romantic triangle as the summer begins to fade and Gatsby's orchestra stops playing.

Is it any good?

QUALITY

THE GREAT GATSBY is a magnificent novel on every level. Fitzgerald writes about the Jazz Age in language that beautifully evokes music. He writes about a hot day in a way that almost makes you sweat. His characters are well-drawn, and the plot is engaging and fast-paced. Though this novel is possibly best appreciated by college-level readers, advanced high school students will find a lot to enjoy and discuss.

Families can talk about...

  • Families can talk about Gatsby's five-year quest to regain Daisy's heart. Is his dream realistic? What is Fitzgerald saying about trying to recapture the past?

  • What kind of person is Nick? Do you feel he is a well-formed character? Why was he so devoted to Gatsby at the end of the book?

  • What is Gatsby really like? How is he different from the widely held ideas about him in the book?

  • Why do you think this book is considered a classic?

Book details

Author:F. Scott Fitzgerald
Genre:Literary Fiction
Book type:Fiction
Publisher:Scribner
Publication date:April 10, 1925
Number of pages:192

This review of The Great Gatsby was written by

Barbara Schultz
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are conducted by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

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Teen, 16 years old Written byDominicboo1 April 29, 2012
age 13+

Very overrated.

There are many great American novels. One of my favorites is To Kill A Mockingbird. However this book only get interesting in the last three chapters. You may or may not enjoy this book.
What other families should know
Too much violence
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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Teen, 15 years old Written byAimeeCathrynX October 9, 2012
age 15+

Romantics in 'The Great Gatsby'

I am studying this for a-level and although at first glance didn't think much of the book- looking at it from a wider perspective has given me the chance to think more in depth and has taught me a lot. I love mostly looking at Jay Gatsby and how is a romantic in the way this he creates this whole knew life in a desperate attempt to get back the girl he always loved. Fron the beginning he is reaching for this green light and it is just out of reach and the book as whole is about this man trying to create a past. He is obviously respected greatly by auther Fitzgerald but it ends in deady consequences- a warning from Fitgerald about how by being this type of person it doesn't always end well.
What other families should know
Educational value
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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Adult Written byJEDI micah February 12, 2013
age 13+

One of the worst books I've read.

This is one of those books that doesn't appeal to me. Even though it has a kinda simple story line, it is just a romantic novel straight from the garbage. Sure it's classic, but wouldn't it be more of a classic if the dialogue, characters, and story were put together more thoroughly? I wish I could go back in time to tell F. Scott Fitzgerald that!
What other families should know
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
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